Lord Lugard and the 1914 Amalgamation of Nigeria

The period between 1900 -12 was one in which the two halves of the protectorate, inheriting fundamentally different forms of administration and underlying political and social structures, diverged radically in administrative and political styles.

The administrative structures in Nigeria before amalgamation were really diverse. It was as if Britain was really creating two different countries. When Lugard returned to Nigeria as Governor General in 1912 and introduced the amalgamation in 1914, largely for financial reasons, the content of the amalgamation was profoundly influenced by Lugard’s previous experience in Northern Nigeria and his disdainful attitudes towards Southern Nigeria. In effect, there was little or no amalgamation, for Lugard simply superimposed on the colony the existing structures in Northern Nigeria, particularly the obnoxious system of indirect rule. Lugard made no serious effort to bring Northern and Southern Nigeria under a uniform and central administration. For most of the time, he governed the colonial territory from the North in an administrative system that was so evidently incongruous.

From his Political Memoranda, his Amalgamation Reports, and his numerous writings on the new colony, it is doubtful that Lugard, or most of his successors in the colony, really did think of Nigeria’s future in terms of a single political entity. Lugard’s successor as Governor General, Hugh Clifford, had warned in 1919 that ‘the coordination of all administrative work should be directed from a single centre’. His successor, Richard Palmer, disagreed with this view, and instead averred that Nigeria ‘was a mere geographical expression, the European label attached to three divergent though contiguous chunks of Africa’. British colonial policy in Africa was vastly different from the French colonial policy of assimilation that envisioned its colonies as possible French states in future. Lugard and most of his administrative successors in Nigeria did not have such a vision for Nigeria.

The amalgamation, now being celebrated by the Federal Government, was certainly very unpopular in both Northern and Southern Nigeria at the time, and was vigorously opposed by the educated Lagos elite. In the North, the powerful emirates were opposed to it, as it was feared that a centralised administrative system would weaken their authority, which in fact depended on British rule, while in the South it was feared that it would lead to the introduction of the unpopular system of indirect rule and the curtailment of the few political rights that the Lagos-based educated elite enjoyed under the legislative council system. Sir Arthur Richards, another Governor General, while reviewing the 1923 Clifford Constitution had stated that his main objective was to promote the unity of Nigeria. But through his creation of regional councils in the three provinces into which Nigeria was divided, he reinforced the already existing trend towards regionalism in Nigeria. Richards justified his new Constitution for Nigeria on the ground that Northern Nigeria wanted little or nothing to do with the South. This view was subsequently echoed in the 1940s by both Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello, who stated quite clearly that they both regarded Nigeria as a mere geographical expression, and not a united country. In fact, Sir Ahmadu Bello complained publicly later that ‘the mistake of 1914 (meaning the amalgamation) has come to light’. It was as a compromise that a federal system was introduced as best suited to Nigerian conditions.

The amalgamation created modern Nigeria, but it was not without some strains as it forced the various ethnic groups of Nigeria into a single political unit. It was like trying to force a political union among France, Germany, and Britain. Belgium is a good example of a country in which two separate and distinct nationalities have been lumped together with predictable results, similar to the situation in Nigeria. In fact, it was only in Nigeria that the British colonialists used the word ‘amalgamation’. This term was never applied to any of their other colonies in Africa, or elsewhere. Whatever we may consider to be the merits of amalgamation, it is not an event for us to celebrate. It is demeaning. We should merely mark it as a major event in Nigeria’s political development. I know of no other former British colony that has celebrated its acquisition in this manner. The idea has no precedence in Africa. It was British colonial genius that produced Nigeria. But they will not be celebrating it for obvious reasons. In fact, if they tried to celebrate the occasion, we should object to it as demeaning to us. Our African brothers will certainly consider the planned celebration rather strange. As a nation, we have worked hard and tirelessly to keep this nation united. But we should not celebrate an event in our colonial history of which we should not be proud.

Of course, the amalgamation was a historic event in Nigeria and cannot be forgotten completely. The intention here is not to completely denigrate British rule in Nigeria as it did the country some good. It introduced western education in the South and a system of justice that was fair on the whole. But it is my well considered view that we should merely mark the amalgamation with seminars, and not celebrate it as if the idea was that of our people and leaders.

It is a pity that Nigerian and African history are no longer being seriously taught in our schools and Universities. If they were, we would certainly take a different view of this plan to celebrate this episode of our history. Professor Tamuno, the chairman of the planning committee of the celebration, is a historian of note, and a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan. He understands fully the point being made here. It would be better for him to advise the government that, instead of the planned elaborate celebrations, we should merely mark the event by holding seminars and lectures all over the country. This would be far cheaper, more relevant, and more meaningful. What we need is a sober reflection on what amalgamation really meant to Nigeria. I intend to discuss this in my next series of articles in this paper.

Since the error of amalgamation had come to stay, why is it difficult to re-write new course incorporating the error and make best out of it. Nigeria is over 40 years, she should be but prone all branches that will drag or keep the nation in the old way. We the people can do this and more such as purge the old politicians and go from there.

Happiness dede

U r correct sir.
Jan 2015 should be marked wit seminars all over the country,and not celebration.we did not want it.it ws imposed on us.we shouldn’t be proud of it.lets come up wit our own decision instead of following d old one.
I believe that we now old enough to knw wt best fits us.
Thanks

enaiho lucky okoromi

nigeria needs to rewrite her constitution because lord lugard was a spoiler, all he did favoured north n that is the reason why north said the power of this entity called nigeria belongs to them. nobody owns power, it belongs to GOD.the constitutions guiding nigeria today is colonial=military constitution n so we need people oriented constitution.to rewrite a new constitution, every nigerian must be involved ie if there is no division in the near future.

METUAKALE

THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT THE AMALGAMATION OF 1914 WAS NOT ENOUGH TO BRING INTO EXISTENCE, A COUNTRY. FIRSTLY, THERE WAS NO REFERENDUM TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE VARIOUS PEOPLE THAT WERE LUMPED TOGETHER REALLY WANTED TO UNITE AS ONE ENTITY. SECONDLY AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE VARIOUS ENTITIES/KINGDOMS THAT LUGARD FORCED TOGETHER IN 1914 WERE NEVER MADE TO SURRENDER THEIR PRE 1914 INDIVIDUAL SOVEREIGNTIES. THEREFORE, WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IS SEVERAL SOVEREIGNTIES WITHIN ANOTHER SOVEREIGNTY. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT A TYPICAL IGBO MAN OWES HIS FIRST ALLIGENCE TO IGBO LAND, THE HOUSA/FULANI MAN OWES HIS FIRST ALLIGENCE TO HOUSA/FULANI LAND, THE YORUBA MAN OWES HIS FIRST ALLIGENCE TO HIS YORUBA LAND. THE SAME THING GOES WITH THE MINORITY GROUPS. IT IS FOR THE SAME REASON THAT THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE FORTUNATE TO FIND THEMSELVES DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE NATIONAL TREASURY LOOT IT TO THE POINT OF STUPIDITY BECAUSE THEY DON’T BELIEVE IN THE COUNTRY. THAT WE ARE TOGETHER THEREFORE, IS NOT BECAUSE OF THE 1914 AMALGAMATION, RATHER, IT IS BECAUSE OF OUR MISUNDERSTANDING OF LUGARD’S INTENTION. AS FOR THE CENTENARY CELEBRATION, IT IS NOTHING BUT THE CELEBRATION OF FOLLY AND SHAMELESSNESS.

sesan

The main reason why the Government want to celebrate the Amalgamation is because the looters want to legitimize their actions.

The people in Government has seen the advantage of the Amalgamation
1) They are not responsible to any of the Nations that is in the Geographical area call Nigeria
2) It will not be possible for this Nations to collectively asked for them to be accountable for their actions.

This is the time for the people to ask themselves the one million Naira question

DO WE WANT TO CONTINUES TO LIVE IN THIS CONDITION WE ARE SUBJECTED TO BY THE SAME FAMILIES THAT HAS BEEN RULING THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CALLED NIGERIA FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS?

The answer is either YES or NO

If your answer is YES no action need and if it is NO then we should let them know we do not agree any more to be living in the sub human condition created by their LOOTING methods that has been employed over this years.

History has show us all that no condition is permanent and you can only change your condition when you change the way you think.

WE ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE LIKE AN HUMAN BEING THE CONDITION WE HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO IS INHUMAN, THAT IS WHY THEY GO TO EUROPE, US AND OTHER COUNTRIES FOR HOSPITAL TREATMENTS WHEN THEY ARE SICK WHILE OTHER CITIZENS HAVE TO GO TO THE CREMATORIUM THE PEOPLE IN POWER CALLED AN HOSPITAL.

Tobias

The Amalgamation is not doing us any favor so we should reject that. We did not want it because it was imposed on us by force and not democratically accepted. So it is time for the Northern Nigeria and the Southern Nigeria to separate and let each other to governor themselves and enjoys whatever they have themselves.

Tobias

The State control it resources and pay TAX to Central government I mean the federalism system we wanted earlier can no longer work in Nigeria even if it impose now. The Northern Nigeria ethnic groups and the Southern Nigeria ethnic groups are not practicing the same custom, not the same faith, not reasoning the same way and did not look alike in all bend. So why must them practice single central Government? It cannot work and for those wasted years they are on that it is very clear to everyone that it is not functioning and cannot work. If you go to any of Nigeria Military base you will find hundred of Hausas colonials and major in the Nigeria Army that cannot speak one word of English. They all speaks only Hausa and if you cannot speak Hausa to them then you cannot communicate to them or then you will be forced to look for someone that hears and speaks Hausa to be a translator to you.This sight was afterward echoed in the 1940s by both Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, who stated quite clearly that they both regarded Nigeria as a mere geographical expression, and not a united country. So we should let them go with whatever they have. We can survive without the Hausas onions, yam and goats.

Tobias

It is a pity that it was in the Northern Nigeria that the question of the amalgamation of the 1914 was raised in the 1950s. The late Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was account in 1952 in a speech in the Northern House of Assembly, Kaduna, that `the Southern people who are spilling over into this Northern region daily in large numbers are really intruders. We don`t want them and they are not welcome here in the North. Since the amalgamation in 1914, the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people are different in every way including religion, custom, language and aspiration. The fact that we`re all Africans might have misguided the British Government.

Freeborn Michael

Leave this to the Nigerian populace to decide. Too much velom in your story. As someone who has an axe to grind.